UFC Fight Night 249 predictions: Who's picking Mackenzie Dern upset of Amanda Ribas in rematch?

The UFC is back in its Las Vegas home base this week to kick off the calendar year with a women’s strawweight rematch at the top of the bill.

UFC Fight Night 249 (ESPN+) takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Get main card pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.

Uros Medic vs. Punahele Soriano

Records: Medic (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Soriano (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC)
Past five: Medic 3-2, Soriano 2-3
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Medic -220, Soriano +180
Junkie pick results: Medic 7, Soriano 4

Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez

Records: Bashi (13-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Rodriguez (11-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Past five: Bashi 5-0, Rodriguez 4-1
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Bashi -270, Rodriguez +220
Junkie pick results: Bashi 10, Rodriguez 1

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov

Records: Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC), Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC)
Past five: Curtis 2-3, Kopylov 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Curtis +190, Kopylov -230
Junkie pick results: Curtis 7, Kopylov 4

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida

Records: Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC), Almeida (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Past five: Alhassan 2-3, Almeida 4-1
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Alhassan +205, Almeida -250
Junkie pick results: Almeida 8, Alhassan 3

Carlston Harris vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio

Records: Harris (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC), Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC)
Past five: Harris 3-2, Ponzinibbio 1-4
Division: Welterweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Harris +120, Ponzinibbio -140
Junkie pick results: Ponzinibbio 8, Harris 3

Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas

Records: Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC), Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC)
Past five: Dern 2-3, Ribas 2-3
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: Dern No. 7, Ribas No. 14
Odds (as of 01.09.25): Dern +160, Ribas -190
Junkie pick results: Dern 7, Ribas 4

Preliminary card picks

Although they don’t count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:

• Felipe Bunes vs. Jose Johnson: Johnson 9, Bunes 2
• Ihor Potieria vs. Marco Tulio: Tulio 11, Potieira 0
• Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden: Moises 10, Ogden 1
• Preston Parsons vs. Jacobe Smith: Smith 11, Parsons 0
• Nicolle Caliari vs. Ernesta Kareckaite: Caliari 6, Kareckaite 5
• Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes: Gadzhiyasulov 11, Lopes 0
• Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline: Kline 7, kDudakova 4
• Nurullo Aliev vs. Joe Solecki: Aliev 11, Solecki 0

Check out all the main card picks below.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

	Dern vs. Ribas	Harris vs. Ponzinibbio	Alhassan vs. Almeida	Curtis vs. Kopylov	Bashi vs. Rodriguez	Medic vs. Soriano
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 209-107 (2024) 2024 Champion	Dern	Ponzinibbio	Almeida	Curtis	Bashi	Medic
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 204-112 (2024) 2014 Champion	Ribas	Ponzinibbio	Alhassan	Curtis	Bashi	Soriano
Matt Erickson @MattE 198-118 (2024)	Dern	Ponzinibbio	Almeida	Kopylov	Bashi	Medic
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 193-123 (2024)	Dern	Ponzinibbio	Alhassan	Curtis	Bashi	Soriano
Brian Garcia @thegoze 189-127 (2024) 2017 Champion	Dern	Ponzinibbio	Almeida	Kopylov	Bashi	Medic
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 177-139 (2024)	Dern	Harris	Almeida	Curtis	Rodriguez	Soriano

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.;l;/